Lien “Expert” Charged with 16 Counts of Perjury

The reach and influence of your humble (and arguably delusional) blogger spans far and wide. Reliable sources have pointed out a fraud story that is simply ridiculous. On January 5, 2012 the San Diego District Attorney’s Office filed a felony complaint, alleging sixteen counts of perjury against Joseph Arthur Wolf. Wolf, who on at least one occasion testified as an “expert witness” in a lien recovery matter for workers’ compensation cases, made claims that he had received degrees from universities (which he apparently had not), and that he had been mayor of a town in New Jersey (which he apparently had not either).

Among his other claimed titles were: Police Commissioner (of two different towns in two different states), President of the Board of Health, and Assemblyman. He also claimed to have taught medical doctors at Chicago University Pritzger School of Medicine.

Also of interest is Count 2: “[d]efendant stated he had no financial interest in the outcome of the hearing, but was being paid by the surgery center.”

According to the complaint, Wolf was testifying for Wolf & Associates when these 16 acts of perjury occurred. But the Wolf & Associates website makes no mention of Joseph Arthur Wolf, but only of Leslie Wolf and her “20+ years experience in the medical and workers [sic]compensation fields.”

Efforts to retrieve cached versions of the Wolf & Associates website, ones that would include some mention of Joseph Arthur Wolf, were unsuccessful. In any case, it appears that Wolf & Associates provided lien recovery services to various lien claimants, and, on at least one occasion, offered Joseph Arthur Wolf as an expert witness to carry the requisite burden of proof as to necessity and/or reasonableness of charges.

The defense attorney in that case must have been as diligent as they come – he rooted out the patent fraud and perjury committed by this so-called “expert” and the District Attorney is now involved. How many other lien-recovery outfits try these sort of shenanigans? How many times have the succeeded in influencing workers’ compensation Judges to award undeserved funds to lien claimants?

As a member of the defense community, I would also like an investigation into Wolf & Associates – did they know about his background? How often have they retained Mr. Wolf as an expert witness? Are the facts there to support a charge of conspiracy to commit perjury? California in general and Southern California in particular are plagued by the devastating effect of liens – when applicants are wondering where all the money is going, they can find the lien claimants siphoning off the defendant’s reserves and litigation budget. This is an example of the problem.

WCDefenseCA sends a very sincere “good hunting” to the San Diego District Attorney’s Office.

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